NASA scientist Anne Thompson shares some images that shows drops In U.S. air pollution.

NASA scientist Anne Thompson shares some images that shows drops In U.S. air pollution.

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Updated: 12:08 PM PDT Jun 27, 2014

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WEBVTT BETWEEN THE HOT, DRY WEATHER AND THE ONGOING DROUGHT, CALIFORNIA'S AIR COULD BE COMPROMISED. EARLIER THIS YEAR, THE AMERICAN LUNG ASSOCIATION PUT OUT ITS ANNUAL REPORT CARD ON AIR QUALITY. OF THE 25 WORST CITIES, THE TOP 5 ARE IN CALIFORNIA, WITH LOS ANGELES LEADING THE LIST. BUT IT TURNS OUT, THE AIR WE'RE BREATHING NOW IS ACTUALLY GETTING CLEANER, THAT'S ACCORDING TO NASA RESEARCH. JOINING US THIS MORNING, SCIENTIST AND THOMPSON. THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE. MY PLEASURE. GOOD MORNING. TELL US SOME OF THE CHANGES YOU SEE. WHAT YOU'RE LOOKING AT, OR WE HAVE IMAGES FROM THE NOTE NASA -- THE NASA SATELLITE LAUNCHED 10 YEARS AGO. WHAT WE SEE ARE IMAGES OF THE ENTIRE U.S., 2005, WHAT IS RED MEANS BAD AIR QUALITY. YOU CAN SEE WHERE THE HOTSPOTS ARE OVER CALIFORNIA. I 2011, YOU CAN SEE SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENTS IN THOSE REGIONS. ABOUT 30% TO 40% BETTER IN SAN FRANCISCO, FOR EXAMPLE. SAME THING IN SAN DIEGO. LOS ANGELES, IMPROVEMENTS A LITTLE BIT HARDER, BUT STILL ABOUT A 25% INCREASE OR DECREASE IN THE HARMFUL AIR YOU BREATHE. AND THE YELLOW? YELLOW MEANS THERE IS STILL SOME N02. WHAT ARE THE FACTORS THAT ARE GOING INTO THE AIR QUALITY? THERE ARE TWO DOMAIN FACTORS GOING INTO THE N02. THIS IS ONE WE KNOW EXACTLY WHAT MOST OF THE SOURCES ARE. PRINCIPALLY, WHAT IS COMING OUT OF INDUSTRIAL SMOKESTACKS, PLACES THAT GENERATE POWER, EMITTING N02. WE SCRUBBED THEM NOW AND MOST OF THE COUNTRY. THAT IS RESPONSIBLE FOR IMPROVEMENTS. CERTAINLY DEAR TO THE HEART OF CALIFORNIANS IS THE OTHER BIG TECHNOLOGICAL IMPROVEMENT WE MADE OVER THE LAST SEVERAL DECADES IS TREMENDOUS IMPROVEMENTS IN EMISSIONS FROM AUTOMOBILES. ALTHOUGH THERE ARE A LOT MORE PEOPLE AND CARS AND A LOT MORE DRIVING, THIS HAS BEEN ONE OF THE BIG COMPONENTS CONTRIBUTING TO LESSEN OZONE SMOG, WHICH IS THE BYPRODUCT, AND WE HOPE BETTER HEALTH. QUICK IMAGE IN NORTHERN CALIFORNIA AND SOME OF THE IMPROVEMENTS. COMPARE NORTHERN CALIFORNIA TO THE REST OF THE COUNTRY. NORTHERN CALIFORNIA IS ABOUT WHETHER REST OF THE -- AVERAGES FOR THE REST OF THE COUNTRY. 30% TO 40% IMPROVEMENT IS AVERAGE. THERE IS ONE OTHER FACTOR AFFECTING CALIFORNIA. I KNOW YOU'RE GETTING INTO YOUR FIRE SEASON. THAT ALSO IS AN N02 SOURCE. WE HAD TO PUT ALL OF THESE THINGS TOGETHER. BESIDES THE SATELLITE, WHICH IS LOOKING LARGELY AT THE NO2 GAS, ALSO HOPE CONSTELLATION OF SATELLITES ORBITING EVERY DAY THAT ARE LOOKING AT PARTICLES, LOOKING AT FIRES. WE PUT ALL OF THIS TOGETHER TO UNDERSTAND THE MIX OF NATURAL PROCESSES THEM AT THE TRANSPORT, SOME OF WHAT YOU GET ON THE WEST COAST ACTUALLY COMES IN A DIFFERENT TIMES OF THE YEAR FROM ASIA, THEN YOU PASS SOME OF YOUR POLLUTION ONTO OTHER PARTS OF THE COUNTRY. THE EAST COAST PASSES ON TO EUROPE AND SO ON. ANN THOMPSON, GIVING US A LOOK AT WHAT WE CAN DO TO IMPROVE AIR

NASA satellite images show improved air quality in the U.S.

NASA scientist Anne Thompson shares some images that shows drops In U.S. air pollution.